Steel band crimping machine



y 1956 l. H. GREGORY 2,752,807

STEEL BAND CRIMPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 23, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 3, 1956 1. H. GREGQRY STEEL BAND CRIMPING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 25, 1954 z,7s2,s07

STEEL BAND CRIMPING MACHINE Ivan H. Gregory, Seaside, Greg, assignor to Acme Steel.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for crimping steel bands and has for one of its principal objects the provision of a machine of this character which is portable and of simple, efficient, durable and light-weight construction and capable of exerting high compression to its crimping jaws against opposite sides of the overlapping ends of a band and a retaining sleeve therefor while conveniently held by an operator.

These and other objects will appear as my invention is more fully hereinafter described in the following specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a machine made in accordance with my invention for crimping steel bands.

Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1 with fragments broken away for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 3 is a side View of the crimping head with one of its cover plates removed to reveal internal parts.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a pair of steel bands and a retaining sleeve after having been crimped into locked engagement with each other by the crimping jaws.

Fig. 5 is a side view of Fig. 4 and Fig. 6 an end view thereof.

Fig. 6 is an end view of Figure 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings:

As best illustrated in Fig. 2 the main body of the machine is of generally cylindrical form and comprises a hollow top portion indicated by reference numeral 1 and a bottom portion 2 both flanged as at 3 and 4 respectively, bolted together and to the flange 5 of a diaphram 6. The central portion of the diaphram is normally held down wardly against the inner surface of the bottom wall 7 of the bottom portion 2 of the main body by a compression spring 8 whose one end bears against a head 9 of a plunger 10 and whose opposite end bears against the underside of a flange 11 formed integral with, or secured to, a vertical bearing 12. The spring 8 at all times maintains the flange 11 of the bearing 12 in contact with the undersurface of the top wall 13 of the upper portion 1 of the main body. The plunger 10 extends upwardly through a base plate 14 secured as at 15 to the top wall of the upper part 1 of the main body. The central portion of the base plate 14 is provided with two spaced-apart vertically disposed plates 16.

Secured at their bottom ends by means of bolts 17 are two vertically disposed plates 18 and 19 forming a frame for a crimping-head generally indicated at 20. Secured by welding or the like to the back plate 18, are two parallel tracks 21 within which is slidably mounted for vertical movement an H-frame 22 whose bottom end is connected by a pin 23 to the top end of the plunger 10. The top end of the H-frame is connected by a pin 24 to the bottom overlapping ends of a pair of toggle links 25, whose top ends are connected by pins 26 to the bottom ends of a pair of crimping jaws 27, whose top ends are pivotally connected to the plates 18-19 by bolts 28 extending therethrough. The top ends of the crimping jaws are bifurcated as at 29 and within each bifurcation and also pivotally attached to the bolts 28, is a deforming plate 30 whose top surface is preferably rounded to form the particular indentations in the steel bands and their retaining clip as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6.

The cover plates 18-19 of the frame 20 are secured in spaced relation to each other by means of spacer tubes 31 placed on the bolts 17 and a spacer block 32 secured to cover plate 18. Tightening of the bolts 28 forces the cover plate 19 into secure engagement with the spacer block 32 but, at the same time, allows freedom of movement of the crimping jaws and their related parts within the crimper head.

Vertical movement is imparted to the plunger 10 through the medium of air pressure applied between the diaphram and the bottom wall 7 of the bottom portion 2 of the main body. The pressure from its source is applied by a hose or the like to a fitting 33 secured to one end of a pipe 34 extending throughone side of one of two handles 34A bolted as at 348 to the top flange 3 of the main body of the machine. The opposite end of the pipe is connected to one end of a valve 35 whose stem 36 is actuated by a trigger 37. The opposite end of the valve is connected as at 38 to a conventional quick-release valve generally indicated at 39 connected as at 39A to the opposite side of said handle and in open communication through a tube 40, by means of a fitting 41, with the interior of the main body beneath said diaphram 6.

When two steel bands, indicated at 42 and 43 (see Figures 4, 5 and 6) are to be locked together by the crimping operation of my invention their end portions are inserted through a sleeve 44 in overlapping relation to each other. The sleeve may be of any desired length to be crimped along with both bands at opposite sides as indicated at 45 and 46 in any desired number of spaced intervals. The crimping is accomplished by engaging both sides of the sleeve bythe crimping jaws 29 as it rests upon the deforming plates 30 whose top surfaces are rounded as previously mentioned. Following this the trigger 37 is moved upwardly as viewed in Fig. 2 to open the valve 35 to thereby direct air pressure to the interior of said bottom portion 2 of the housing to force the diaphragm and the plunger 10 upwardly which, through the medium of the H-frarne 24 and toggle links 25, will force the crimping jaws into their broken line positions shown in Fig. 3 whereby the bifurcated top ends of the crimping jaws will deform both sides of the sleeve and the bands therein inwardly and downwardly over the deforming plates 30. When the crimping operation is completed the trigger 37 and valve stem 36 are released and the air pressure beneath the diaphragm will be released instantly to the atmosphere through the quick-release valve 39 as the plunger is being forced downwardly by the spring 8 as the jaws are being swung back into their open positions as shown in Fig. 3. The bottom end of the vertical bearing 12 serves as a limit stop for the upward thrust of the plunger ltl and the impact of the head 9 against the bottom end of the vertical bearing 12 will be transmitted over a maximum area of the top wall 13 of the upper portion 2 of the main body through the medium of the relatively large flange 11 at the top end of the vertical bearing.

While I have shown a particular form of embodiment of my invention I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily subject themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Having thus described the invention. what I claim is new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A steel band crimping machine comprising in con1- bination a cylindrical hollow body member having a top Wall and a bottom wall, a diaphragm disposed within said housing atthebottom thereof, a plunger having a head bearingragainstsaiddiaphragm, a verticalbearing having a head formed at one of its ends and bearing against the underside of the top wall of said body member, a compressionispring;havingrone of a itsends bearing againsti the head? of ,saidrplungergandi its opposite end":hearingragainso the :head. of; said bearing; said plunger ex-tending upwardly throughsaid bearing andfsaiditop walliof the-housing, aa vertical frame superimposed upon said; housing, apair:

of. crimping jaws; pivotally attached: at: one of: their: ends to. the top end of said' frame, the. opposite ends of' crimpingjaws being pivotally connected. to a pair. of

secured at one: of its-ends to. one side of one of said handles andada'pted for connection to a'source of pres;

sure, the opposite endof the pipebeing in communication with a trigger-actuated valve, the opposite: end of.

said valvetbeing in open communication with a quickrelease-valve, the quick-release valve being in open communication with the interior of said housing below said diaphragm for forcing. said plunger upwardly and said crimping jaws into a crimping position upon actuation of,

said trigger-actuated valve.

2. A steel band crimping machine comprising incom bination a cylindrical hollow body member having'a top wall and a bottom wall, a diaphragm disposed within said housing at the bottom thereof, a plunger having ahead.

bearingagainst said diaphragm, a vertical bearing having 4 a head formed at one of its ends and bearing against the underside of the top wall ofsaid-body member, acompression spring having one of its ends bearing against the head of said plunger and its opposite end bearing against the head of said bearing, said plunger extending upwardly through said bearing and said top wall of the housing, a vertical frame superimposed upon said housing, a pair of crimping jaws pivotally attached at one of their ends to the top-end of saidframe, the'opposite ends of the crimping jaws being pivotally connected to a pair of toggle linlrs, the opposite ends of said toggle links being pivotally connected to means slidably mounted within a vertical guide and connected at its oppositeend to the top end of said plunger, a pair of handles secured to and extending outwardly from saidhousing, a pipe secured at one of its ends to one of said handles and adapted for connection to a source of pressure, the opposite end of the pipe being in communication with a trigger-actuated valve, the opposite end of said valve being in open communication with the interior of said housing below said'diaphragm for forcing said plunger upwardly and'said crimping jaws into a crimping position upon actuation of said trigger-actuated valve.

References Cited 'in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,924,844 Edwards Aug. 29, 1933; 2,241,056. Chilton Mayo, 1941- 2,675,699 Tilden .Apr, 20, 1954 2,677,981 Temple ,May 171, 1954 

